George Clinton, widely hailed as the Godfather of Funk, isn’t resting on his laurels at 84.
Instead, the outlandish octogenarian and his massive band of funkateers are still packing houses nationwide with marathon celebrations of the groove. On Jan. 18, George Clinton & Parliament Funkadelic bring their “Just For the Funk of It!” tour to the Music Box.
Concertgoers can expect a deep dive into P-Funk’s songbook, from Funkadelic’s “(Not Just) Knee Deep” and “One Nation Under a Groove” to Parliament’s “Flash Light” and “P-Funk (Wants to Get Funked Up).” Clinton’s chart-topping “Atomic Dog” and the platinum party anthem “Give Up the Funk (Tear the Roof Off the Sucker)” also tend to surface during the nearly three-hour set.
While the current lineup no longer includes bassist Bootsy Collins or keyboardist Bernie Worrell, who died in 2016, the band remains stacked with longtime P-Funk soldiers. Guitarist Mike Hampton and bassist Lige Curry have been aboard since the ‘70s, while Bennie Cowan and Greg Thomas have anchored the group’s legendary horn section for more than four decades.
Known to fans as Dr. Funkenstein, Clinton has been laying down beats for over 65 years. He formed New Jersey doo-wop group The Parliaments in 1956, and by the late ‘60s the group evolved into Parliament and Funkadelic. The P-Funk collective would go on to score 13 top-10 hits, six of them No. 1s, and become one of the most innovative pioneers of psychedelia-infused funk.
Parliament Funkadelic was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1997, received the Recording Academy’s Lifetime Achievement Award in 2019, and earned a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 2024.
Last year, Parliament’s landmark album Mothership Connection celebrated its 50th anniversary, Clinton was inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame, and Billboard named Parliament Funkadelic among the 50 best rock bands of all time.
With P-Funk among the most sampled bands in hip-hop history, Clinton has been at the center of ongoing disputes over music rights. The songwriter has long sought compensation for the widespread use of his work, even suing the Black Eyed Peas for unauthorized sampling.
When this writer spoke with him in 2016, Clinton was blunt about the issue. “We have more songs out there than anybody, and I don’t get one penny from any of the streams of royalties,” he said.
Last March, Clinton filed a $100 million lawsuit against Bridgeport Music, alleging the publisher fraudulently acquired copyrights to nearly his entire catalog over decades. He is seeking to reclaim ownership.
There’s no disputing the impact Clinton and his collaborators have had on generations of artists across genres, from Red Hot Chili Peppers and OutKast to Prince and Kendrick Lamar. Their legacy was built on a relentless groove that could both rattle the floorboards and tear the roof off the sucker.
If catching George Clinton & Parliament Funkadelic live isn’t on your bucket list, it should be. Now’s your chance to board the Mothership and experience the unbridled, booty-shaking, intergalactic dance party that it is. Doors open at 7 p.m., with the show starting at 8. DJ Mikey Beats will spin phat tracks to pump up the crowd. Get your tickets here.
Donovan Roche is a longtime music writer and frequent contributor to Times of San Diego. Send your story ideas to droche617@gmail.com.
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